How to raise your dragon
by Kaisa Del'Armago
Summary: Rise of the Runelords, half-way through. Snippets and fluff of a summoner who sank five feats to have a dragon. Chapters are in no particular order. Game discontinued. Complete.
1. A lesson in the past: Keda-Kai

Originally from the Uskwood of Nidal, Kai doesn't speak a whole lot about her past, only that she came from a dark place and would prefer not to go back there. But where her life started, -truly started...

Dragons. It started, with dragons.

Kai had grown up, hearing a mix of fearful and awe-filled whispers of dragons. Their grace, their power, their longevity and majesty were impressed upon her at a young age, and ever since then her mind was filled with an almost obsessive -need- to learn about them. She learned about Dahak, about Apsu and their great war. She learned about chromatic dragons, metallic dragons and all colours in between. Drakes, wyverns, kobolds, Everything she could get her hands on. She dreamed about them.

Eventually, she even made contact with one. Or at least, she believes she did. The eidolon that travels with her is proof enough that she made a pact of sorts with something, at least, gaining a fragment of its strength and gaining the ability to leave the shadows of the Uskwood of Nidal and in return pledging her time to the continued study of dragons and their well-being. She learned a great many things, and that, in turn, allowed her to find a job with an adventuring group that was set for the Dragon's Punchbowl.

It was here that it was rumoured that mysterious dragons visited this place, and as such she leapt at the chance to go. While she was there, they did indeed find the lair of a dragon. A black one, and it was a close thing indeed that they escaped unscathed. One of the trophies she found was a dragon egg, unhatched and kicked off to the side, and she took it with her. The thought that it might hatch hadn't even crossed her mind, considering it had been in essence kicked from the nest.

And then, one day, it did.

Imagine her surprise, when she found herself suddenly taking care of this tiny black scaled ball of spite and suddenly having to teach it -morals-. She settled along the Varisian coast, within a day's ride of Sandpoint, and decided to remain in place to train and raise the black dragon hatchling she suddenly found on her hands. Seven years, she spent with that baby dragon, teaching him how to sneak, how to hide, how to lie and how to take the measure of someone, using a mixture of flattery and manipulation to try and teach this creature that eating people who weren't bad, was bad.

Teaching it what was 'bad' was hard enough, considering the dragons natural hoarding tendencies and racial inclinations towards murder. Still, she did her best, and with the help of the eidolon taught it and helped it groom its natural abilities into something resembling the behavior of a true dragon. Knowing that the dragon was quickly getting too large to hide from the populace of Sandpoint, she decided to ask around and on learning from Ameiko that a dwarf she had seen around town known as Bombee had gone after the Heroes of Sandpoint decided to take the offered job. He hadn't returned when he was expected to, and so she promised to go after him.

It was time to make sure Viletongue (so named for his sarcastic words that dripped bile from time to time, literally and figuratively) fully understood that it was better to be loved than feared.


	2. A lesson in the past: VT & SJ

**A lesson in the past - Viletongue**

Viletongue learned what it meant to be a dragon from a particularly noble eidolon and an obsessed half-elf. Son of the great black dragon, Auhlzodrue (who's common name was Scarhorn), Novosian (as is his true name) turns eight on the thirteenth of Lamashan (October). He has spent his formative years sneaking, learning, enjoying verbal spars and being groomed to be a 'better' creature than his forebears. Kai made no secret of how his heritage was viewed by the world, which was why she impressed upon him the need for stealth and the ability to both take the measure of someone and the power of words that could be used to either sway people to leave him be, cease attacking or give him enough time to find a way out of the situation that didn't end with a mob of dragon hunters after his hide.

He looks up to Kai as a moral compass, relying on her to know when things such as eating people and melting holes in walls was permissible and when it wasn't the best idea.

Keiaku (the Eidolon) is looked up to as a somewhat stuffy, if reliable older brother: someone more intimidating than him (but not nearly as handsome) who can be hidden behind if necessary, and who can be counted on to help him flank and tear apart a foe.

He seeks to gain a reputation as a good dragon, one that people would be sad to see die. A -hero- of a dragon.

(Their wyrmlings are noted for their exceptional cruelty and their utterly insatiable appetites. They will eat almost anything organic they can kill, even plants. A black dragon's diet consists of fish, mollusks, aquatic critters and some red meat from terrestrial animals. - Black dragon forgotten realms wiki)

 **A lesson in the past - Eidolon**

Keiaku is an Eidolon. That is to say, the aspect of an outsider that Kai summons, and the proof of lis lies in the pattern that sprawls along its spine that matches what appears to be a tattoo on the half-elfs back. The outsider in question appears to be a crystal dragon, very likely from the plane of earth. This causes him have stoic and somewhat friendly personality, and he doesn't talk all that much unless it is to greet someone or to inform others in the area of a potential problem. He is very protective of Kai and seems to have adopted Viletongue as something of a younger, smaller brother, and will often try and distract a foe by appearing more intimidating and dangerous than the other when he isn't trying to teach the black dragon about nobility and the difference between right and wrong, as seen through the eyes of a dragon:

Dragons are the top of the food chain, when fully grown. Until that point, young dragons often survive longer by being smarter and quieter and unseen when it comes to the public eye.

Either that or by gaining a reputation as a good dragon, one that people would be sad to see die. A -hero- of a dragon.

(Crystal dragons were among the friendliest of the gem dragons and enjoyed conversing with other creatures. Dragons of this type who dwelt on the Prime Material Plane preferred to live atop high mountains. They sometimes came into conflict with White dragons and had been known to steal white dragon wyrmlings in order to raise them in a friendlier environment. - Crystal dragon forgotten realms wiki)

* * *

 _I just got the most strangely formatted review from lonelyfaery.  
I appreciate the review nonetheless!  
-KD_


	3. A lesson in Friend vs Food

It was time to sit the younger one down, the Eidolon thought to itself. There was only so much he could learn from a half-elf, and some things were better said by a scaled maw.

"Viletongue, come. Sit down. It is time for a lesson."

Predictably, the black dragon pouted before approaching and laying down, tail curling along his side so that he could idly play with the tip. "Didn't we already have a lesson recently? I want to go hunting with Kai."

"Soon. Recall back to our lessons on what to hunt, and when to hunt it." The Eidolon could see right off the bat that this wasn't working, and changed tactics. "Recall hunting the rabbit. See in your minds eye, that rabbit's back as your maw closes about it. Feel how it is crushed between your jaw."

A tiny dribble of acidic drool dripped onto the floor, and it knew that it had his attention.

"You have killed it. You have eaten it, and it was delicious. That rabbit had children, had a spouse and had friends. At first, there are two who come to attack you. What do you do?"

"Kill them and eat them."

The Eidolon nodded. This was what was expected, after all.

"Yes. Those rabbits had children, spouses and friends. Six come to attack you to avenge their fallen loved ones. What do you do?"

"KIll them and eat them too. They're only rabbits."

Again the Eidolon nodded, taking note of how the black dragon seemed to be growing puzzled, boredom waning. Crystal eyes watched as black scales shifted. It knew he wasn't an idiot, and would figure out the pattern.

"They had children, spouses and friends. Sixty, now, come to attack you because you are killing their loved ones. What do you do?"

"That's… A lot of rabbits."

"Yes. And using the law of ratios, each one has a five percent chance of actually hurting you. Do you continue to kill the rabbits?"

"Well, yes. Eventually they'd wear me down and kill me if I didn't, wouldn't they?"

The Eidolon nodded.

"You kill them, but are wounded in the process. Let us be generous and say that they managed to harm your wings, and you now cannot fly. Each one had a family, had loved ones, had friends and allies. Six hundred come to kill you to avenge their beloved dead. What do you do?"

"That's not fair. There wouldn't be six hundred rabbits-"

"Two hundred, six hundred, the number does not matter. It is an endless sea of rabbits, each armed and armored, prepared for your acid. Some want to kill you because you killed someone they knew, others are there because they heard a dragon was killing rabbits and either wished to test themselves against what they see as a monster or because they were paid to avenge the fallen. What do you do?"

The black dragon was quiet for a very long moment.

"... Run. I wouldn't be able to take more than a hundred, I don't think. Not with the law of ratios, and not already wounded."

"Very good. You are very smart, to have come to this conclusion before reaching the thousands. A white dragon would continue to fight, and die."

"Because they're stupid, right?"

"They are the least intelligent and most primal of the chromatic dragons. What they lack in intellect and impulse control, they make up for with instinct. Underestimate them at your own peril. Back to the lesson." The Eidolon studied the black drake, noting how he was hunched and pouting. "You have fled, made it out of there with your life, but you will never be able to live a carefree life again because you are hunted. You could continue to pick them off, but they would continue to gain strength and numbers. Rabbits breed rapidly, after all. You would never be able to enjoy the sun in the warm water ever again, unless it was in the most remote of places. If you settled, you would have to fend off rabbits as they came to claim your hoard."

The black dragon bristled, lips pulling back from his teeth in irritation.

"This can be avoided. Picture again the first rabbit, the original that you found hopping about. The first one you ate. You see it, and you see that it is weak, and could be hunted by anything else at any given time. Instead of eating it, you protect it. It is scared, because you are so much larger and stronger than it is, but you never eat the rabbit. You guide it back home, wish it happiness, and continue on with your day."

"But why would I do that? Rabbits are tasty."

"Because if you do that, then that rabbit tells the other rabbits that you saved its life. Many do not believe it, but you find another rabbit, and do the same. One protected rabbit becomes six. Six protected rabbits becomes sixty, and instead of angry rabbits coming after you, you have happy rabbits that bring you things because they love you. Because they are thankful that you did not attack them, that they are alive and that if something tries to kill them, you will very likely protect them. They bring you food, shiny gold and platinum, they sing you songs and praise you. If you are injured, they use their magic to heal you. If you wish to learn something, you ask them, and they learn this thing from their neighbours and then teach it to you. They guard your hoard when you are not there, they punish those who would steal from you for you. If another dragon comes and tries to attack you, they are there dying for you. All because you did not eat them, but instead protected them."

The Eidolon waited a moment, watching as the black dragon's tongue flicked out and wet his lips.

"... The rabbits worship me, because I protected them…?"

"You are not a god, Viletongue. But to them, you are a Hero, and for that they love you."

The dragon nodded.

"This is about people, isn't it."

"Yes. To us, they are rabbits. Sometimes adorable, oftentimes poking their noses where they do not belong, but you have a choice. You can eat them, or protect them."

"But not all people are -good-. Kai taught me that."

"Correct. Some rabbits are not worth protecting, although I would not advise eating them either."

"Why not?"

"Because the humans you protect might one day learn this, and it will make them fear you instead. Fear is only something an enemy must feel for you, not a loved one. Think on this lesson. Learn from it."


	4. A lesson in cruelty & A moment of happy

**A lesson in Cruelty**

Right from the start, she knew there were steps she was going to have to take to curb certain tendencies that Novosian was showing. Almost immediately upon giving him a live fish to eat, he started to -play- with it. He would knock it out of the bowl of water, watch it flop around and suffocate for a few moments before snagging it and dumping it right back in. After a few rounds of that, he started to tear off its fins and then watched as it flubbed and flailed in the water, before eventually dying outright.

"Novosian, why did you do that?"

"Fun!"

Kai scrubbed a hand across her face, frowning.

"How do you think the fish felt?"

"Bad! See? Fun!"

"Not fun for the fish." She disagreed, frowning as the cat-dragon chirped up at her.

"No." Novosian cheerfully agreed, before flaring his wings. "Me fun!"

"I can see we're going to have a problem here. I'll tell you what. If something does something really -bad- to you, then you can play with it, alright? If it doesn't do anything -really- bad, then it's not worth it, right?"

The wyrmling seemed to ponder that for a moment, before tilting his head and looking up at her.

"'Kay. No sad Kai-Kai?"

"No sad Kai-Kai." The half-elf agreed, cradling the wyrmling. "Now, eat your fish. The Eidolon should be back with more soon. As a reward, what would you like me to sing to you about today?"

 **A moment of Happiness**

Viletongue awaited this day every year with anticipation, and as it approached, couldn't hide the wiggle and bounce in his step. He had learned two years ago that the less he talked about The Day, the better it would be; Kai never told him what was going to happen, after all, and pestering her about it only made her take away Good Things she had planned. He was good the entire week before The Day, though he could see her amusement every time they traveled together.

And then, The Day arrived.

The black dragon uncurled from his nest of coins and shiny items that were supported and wrapped by cloth and a wooden lattice that kept everything from spilling out and getting all over the place, opened his eyes and licked his lips as he caught sight of the trail of fresh shrimp that led from his room in the house into locations unknown. He could smell fish, further in, and took his time eating each little shrimp on its plate as he followed the path outside. It was there that he found a feast fit for a dragon, with banners and even a rare balloon. There was a small chest on the blanket spread across the grass, along with a proud half-elf that lifted a glass of juice.

"Good morning, Starshine, the Moon says hello! Happy Birthday, Novosian!"

"Good morning, Moonshine, the Star says hello! What are we doing today?"

"Well, breakfast first, so we have the energy for today, but then I figured why not go to the beach and go pearl diving like you wanted to a few weeks ago? Whoever gets the most pearls gets their pick of the Pot-" Here she patted the chest, for emphasis, "-for their prize!"

"Is that a Pinata?"

Kai grinned at him, nodding as the hollow vaguely animal-shaped construct swayed where it was hung in the tree.

"Loaded it with shrimp this morning. There's also lots of little goodies hidden around the grounds for you to find."

Viletongue bound forward, tail swishing happily, eager to get the day started.


	5. A lesson in forgiveness

There was something to be said about the innocence of youth. It was said louder, and in more forceful tones when that innocent youth caused great harm and didn't understand why it shouldn't have.

"But she did something really bad! She took my gemstones away!"

"Do you understand why?" The Eidolon didn't even bother to look over at the pacing black dragon, watching instead in its minds eye as the half-elf grit her teeth and set her broken fingers in the house twenty feet away. Her hand was bleeding profusely, and she was fortunate she hadn't lost a few fingers.

"She took my things, so I-"

"She told you thus three times, that if you did not let the dog go that she would. You did not heed her words, and did something bad. She acted to punish you."

"It's just a stupid -dog-. Why shouldn't I have eaten it?" The dragon threw himself onto the ground, sulking in the sun. "It wasn't even that tasty. Mangy mutt."

"That dog belonged to one of the outlying farmsteads, and worked hard to protect it from goblins. You have put the children who live there in danger, all because you could not control yourself."

"It barked! Loudly! A lot! It was annoying!"

"This does not give you leave to end it. It was meant to bark, loudly, copiously if anything threatened its territory. It certainly did not give you leave to maul the half-elf."

The dragon huffed, rolling onto his back and peering over at the Eidolon.

"It doesn't matter. She didn't seem particularly bothered by it anyways. A scratch like that isn't going to hurt her-" he faltered as the Eidolon fixed him with a mute stare. It was one filled with the immense weight of unspoken words. "... She's… She's tougher than that. She's invincible."

"You are soft-stepping and of a lighter gait than I am. See for yourself, but do so silently."

The dragon mulled it over for a few minutes, before pushing himself up and easing towards the house. Quietly, he tipped his snout down and eased his neck up to peer over the windowsill, and had to bite back a startled sound. He hadn't expected to see so much blood.

It was everywhere, across her torso, along her arms and running down the side of her face. She shook where she sat in the kitchen on the floor, a handful of vials scattered nearby and another in her good hand. As she downed the contents, she leaned her head back against the wall and shuddered, staring at the ceiling with an unfocused gaze. The fingers of the hand he had bitten were swollen, but as he watched the purpling faded to the discoloured yellow of old bruises.

He was struck by the thought that he had almost killed her, and crept away, unsettled. It was a nameless unease that sat in his gullet, like a cold lump of sick, and he returned to where the Eidolon sat like a cold lump of crystal.

"... Will… Will she be okay?"

"In time. She keeps such a stock of healing potions because she knew such an accident was an inevitability. She is frail, fragile compared to us, and has through the years weathered the pains of your teeth and claws without flinching. She is, right now, in what is called a state of shock, where everything seems far away. Think of the disorientation and absent mindedness that has come after you have hit your head particularly hard."

"I've… Hurt her badly before, haven't I. When my breath came to me, and a few times otherwise. I've almost killed her." The words were a hushed, frightened murmur, and the dragon curled up and covered himself with his wings. "Why did she never say anything? I knew sometimes I hurt her while playing, but I didn't think…"

"Because every time you accidentally hurt her, she forgives you. She does not get angry, she grits her teeth and smiles through it. She does not hate you for hurting her. She tried, a few times when you had just hatched to teach you this thing, but you were too young to understand."

"She… Forgives me…?"

"It means to let go of any anger you feel towards someone because they have wronged you. To be able to forgive, is the mark of a kind and caring soul. Some, perhaps, see it as weakness, and there are some things that are unforgivable. But for a parent, even one that has adopted, forgiveness of their child is a sign of love."

"Does… She forgive me for the dog?"

The Eidolon tossed its head, snorting. "Only she can answer that, but if I am to offer advice, I would say that protecting the people who you deprived the dog of, because they no longer have the dog to protect them, would be a good first step. Do you forgive her for taking your gemstone collection away?"

"How do I know if I have?" The dragon peered out from under his wing at the Eidolon, tail twitching slightly.

"Do you still hate her? Do you understand why she did this thing? Will you be able to live here happily with her once more?"

The black bundle of scales rumbled quietly, thinking the matter over.


	6. The turning point & A lesson in pain

**The turning point**

They didn't leave the vicinity of Sandpoint very often. Sure, they roamed the hills, forests and the water but never more than a days travel out from their home. Kai knew there were things out there that were dangerous, and while she trusted Squarejewel to protect them, she didn't want to test her luck.

Still, she could see how that made Viletongue chafe. The unfortunate thing was that she agreed with him; the half-elf hadn't been ready to settle down when the black dragon hatched, but had done so out of necessity. The road was no place to raise anyone, let alone a dragon who would come to have a hoard one day. She needed to teach him that 'home' was an important place.

And it was. For seven years, she worked hard to stifle her wanderlust and occupied her time with games meant to teach, meant to hone instincts and give the dragon the skills he needed to survive once she was gone. She knew dragons lived hundreds of years, and she was already in her forties. Still, he grew bored more easily and she was running out of ways to make sure he understood the way the world worked…

Thus it was, that on one of her runs into the city, when Ameiko flagged her down she gave serious thought to the idea of taking the job she offered. Travel the world, and find the Heroes of Sandpoint to help protect it? Hmm… Hmm hmm hmm. Tempting, so very tempting.

But was he -ready-?

She took the job. Ready or not World, here they come.

 **A lesson in Pain**

Pain erupted along the side of her face and the arm she had hastily upraised. It -burned-, and she grit her teeth against the pain even as she turned, recoiled, and stuffed her injured arm out of view of the wyrmling that had grown to the size of a large dog.

"See Kai-Kai? Isn't it -cool-?"

"Woah, Novosian, that -is- pretty cool. But you might hurt people accidentally if you do that and aim it at them, yeah? I know, let's get a watermelon and we'll practice spitting the seed at things. Whoever hits the center of the target the most times gets a prize! But I have to make one first, see? So just wait out here, and I'll be back out in a few minutes, alright?"

"'Kay!" As the black wyrmling bound away, she both reluctantly realized he hadn't likely picked up on how dangerous a breath weapon was and retreated back into the house to slowly let a pained breath out from between her teeth. Only a hastily raised arm had saved her eye, and she made a mental note that the next time he said he wanted to show her something cool he had learned, to make sure he was facing away from her. She was fortunate that he was still small, and that the acid didn't pack the same punch of an adult, but as she carefully applied baking soda to neutralize the worst of it she still had to fight the pain of how it had removed her skin almost down to the muscle.

A damn impressive shot, but still. Not something she wanted to be on the receiving end. Healing potions fixed the worst her face had received, and she used the last on her arm before wrapping it in bandages. She caught sight of her reflection and sighed, snagging a pair of scissors to even the suddenly short patch of hair on the side of her head.

"Kai-Kai! Are you done with the target yet?"

"Not yet, Starshine. I might have to head to town to get some more paints. I'm out of red." A lie, but he wasn't very good yet at picking those out. "Yeah, I'll be back in about two hours. Why don't you find the best patch of sun here and I'll get you some of those fancy steaks you like on the way back?"

"'Kay!"

She adjusted her hat, activated its magic to make herself look normal and unharmed, and left with a wave. It was a long walk.


	7. A moment of practice & A lesson on evil

**A moment of Practice**

"I fought your mother, I've flown on the back of a giant bird, and I've eaten raw fish."

"You did -not- fight my mother. She was out hunting when you found my egg." The dragon stuck out his tongue, and Kai laughed easily. Two truths and a lie was an easy enough game to play, and it was good practice for them both: It kept her ability to lie sharp when she wasn't trying to go easy on him, and helped him learn how to read people. "Hmm, I saved a duckling from drowning today. I was nipped by a crab, which I then ate, aaaand I watched two goblins try and get past the markers, but scared them away before they got too far into our territory."

"Ohh, that's a tough one. You did not, in fact, get nipped by a crab and then eat it."

"How do you always know!?" Viletongue threw himself down onto the ground, stretching out comfortably in the grass as the half-elf sat down next to him and started to inspect his claws.

"Because you did eat a crab, but it didn't nip you first. You're better than that."  
"Bah! Your turn."

Keda-kai grinned, and pondered for a moment on what her two truths and her lie would be this round.

 **A lesson on Evil**

He had no idea how something so big and blocky could move so smoothly across a log balanced on two other logs, but lo and behold. Squarejewel practically pranced across, barely causing the log to roll one way or the other, and dropped down into the grass from the other end.

"Your turn, Viletongue."

"Mnnh." Carefully clambering his way up onto the log, he started carefully across. Wings spread to help him balance, he made it but in twice the time and with none of the grace of the Eidolon, almost rolling the log off the edge.

"Hey, you did better than I did. I fell off half-way along, remember?" Kai lay in the grass, propped up on her elbows as she watched and grinning slightly. Grass stains on her pants only emphasized her words, and the dragon huffed.

"Well, yes. But you can do the rope, where I can't. Even -Squarejewel- can do the rope, and he outweighs me."

"You'll get it eventually. Keep practicing at it, and you'll do alright-" Kai frowned as the dragon spun and spat a stream of acid at the log, melting part of it and stiff-leggedly storming off. "Hey now…"

"Do you think he should be left to cool his head?"

"Nah, he'll just simmer for a while and won't try it again for a week. Keep an eye out, yeah?"

The Eidolon inclined its head as the half-elf pushed herself up and hustled after the dragon. She found him sunning on the angled rock in the front yard, sullen and staring moodily into the trees.

"Hey, you alright?"

A snort answered her, and the dragon shifted so that she wasn't in his field of view.

"Yeah, that's about what I thought." She paused for a moment, feeling for their connection and finding his emotions in turmoil. Shaking her head ruefully, she moved and sat down at the base of the rock, folded her hands behind her head and lounged much as he did in the sun. "I'm over four decades old, you know. I couldn't do the rope until I was just over three decades, and couldn't do the log until after my first. You're doing way better than I am, you know, being less than a decade yourself."

"You're saying I can't do it 'cause I'm -six-, then? Not because I'm all left feet, not because I'm ugly, not because I'm-"

"Oi, you stop that right now. You're handsome, sleek, the colour of the space between the stars. I couldn't even talk when I was your age."

"But your people are -different- than mine. Dragons are-"

"Dragons mature quickly, yeah. And you -are-, Starshine. You're almost the size of a horse, you can fly, you can swim and breath water as easily as air. You're -damned- hard to see when you're sneaking, and too clever by half. I don't even bother hiding things any more, you'd find 'em anyways."

The turmoil shifted, slightly easing, though there was still that undercurrent of sludge-like self-loathing.

"...Why did you ever raise me? I'm a monster. Black dragons are evil. You told me that yourself. Good for nothin'."

Kai frowned faintly, not having expected the question and spent a long moment frowning up at the sky. It was partially cloudy, and a slight breeze picked up and stirred the grass around her.

"... Lemme tell you a story, alright? Try not to interrupt."

The dragon grunted, but remained where he was laying.

"There's a place, far and away to the south east, called Nidal. It's an evil place, where the people live in fear. There is a dark forest known as the Uskwood, and it's there that cruel dragons guard the way into the Darklands."

"It's an evil place, not because it's an evil -place-, but because people who like nothing more than to hurt others make up the dominant force. It's ruled by the worship of Zon-Kuthon, the god of pain, and because of that the evil people in that place enjoy hurting others. The regular people, common folk like me, we lived in fear and hatred. People would disappear, never to return if they seemed like they'd strayed from the right worship or if we didn't behave and follow the rules. My parents, you could say were evil. They hurt each other and me, for as long as I could remember, because blood and pain on an alter were what had to be given to survive. We were part of a militaristic theocracy. A fanatical military-run society. Because my parents were evil, from an evil place, does that make me evil?"

"No. It means I have to fight harder to be good. It means I know what evil -is-, and that I know what living that way means. It means never being safe, it means doing monstrous things to survive. It means that, because I left that hell-hole and couldn't stand being there, that I didn't fit with their 'evil'. That I found it repugnant, but that I also understand that just because my parents weren't good people, that it didn't mean I had to be." Kai peered up at the black dragon, frowning. "Just 'cause your parents were evil, doesn't mean that you have to be. You're not a monster, you're not evil and you're not good for nothing. You don't go around terrorizing people and eating them just because it makes you feel good. You don't hurt people just because you can."

She sat up, reaching out to idly remove some grass that had gotten caught between some scales.

"If you put the effort in, it doesn't matter what you look like. Sure, you'll mess up on the way, but the only people who are born good at things tend t'be arrogant pricks who end up alone and hated. You can change your fate, change your destiny, and be a Hero if you want to go to extremes. Now, what say you we go fishing? I'm starving, after all that practice this morning."


	8. A dream of rocks & A dream of a friendly

**A dream of rocks**

Keda-Kai thought about dragons so often, that she even dreamed about them.

It wasn't always the same place. It hadn't started out that way, at least. First it had been dreams of flying, and as a child dreams of finding dragons and befriending them. As she grew, the half-elf began to remember her dreams in bits and pieces, and eventually even started to map out the halls and tunnels that had started to invade her dreams.

How could she have known that this was an actual place? She couldn't have, and didn't until the very end, where she dreamed and wandered the paths that by then had become as familiar as the forest paths of her home in the Uskwood. No, it was only at the very end as she came upon the gargantuan mass of living, breathing crystal that she was informed that this wasn't the first time she had wandered the halls of his home in her dreams.

He called himself Keiaku, and as his massive head lifted from the bed of quartz chunks she realized that he could have very easily killed her. She stood just taller than what looked like his nostril, but he always moved ever so carefully, ponderously, easily keeping track of her wherever she scampered.

Kai was always careful to keep from taking anything from him. It would have been rude, after all, to steal from so gracious a host. In return, she learned about all kinds of dragons, and as she felt herself waking she almost desperately pleaded for a way to find him and talk to him again.

" _When you wake, trust your instincts, and remember my name."_

That was the last night she dreamed about caves. That morning, as she was making her daily prayer and bled for a moment on the family altar, she thought for a good, long minute about Keiaku. She didn't even realize there was warmth spreading across her back until her father yelped and pointed out the fact that she was glowing, and as she twisted to try and look she caught sight of the curling, sprawling pattern that could be seen through her shirt. The miniature (compared to the original) form of Keiaku materialized a heartbeat later, and watched the three of them with impassive eyes before focusing on Keda-Kai.

" _You have always wanted to leave this place. Shall we?"_

She didn't have to be asked twice, and as her parents argued with her she simply shrugged, ignored them and their warning of her sisters impending marriage and left. The bulk of the Eidolon (she learned what the fragment was called as she packed) kept them from physically stopping her. She also learned that the fragment itself had no discernable gender, and that it was but a part of the crystal dragons power that had been granted to her to call on, to help her fulfill her wishes so long as she brought no disgrace to his name.

A gift, a prize for good behaviour and something to help protect her and her curiosity.

She had never felt so free.

 **A dream of a friendly intruder**

It had been difficult to pin down what, exactly, was breezing through his lair. He would catch fragments of scents, hear the faintest echo of footfalls where his tremorsense picked up nothing, and knew from these things that his frequent visitor was perhaps not the most substantial of beings. As such, he prepared and settled himself down to sleep in preparation, and as he waited in the land of dreaming finally caught sight of it.

A -mortal-, all gangly and dirt smudged, with wonderment on its round, short-nosed face. It was then, that he spoke to it and learned its name. It was then that he watched it, with its clumsy bumbling as it picked its way along the crystal formations that lined the antechamber of his home and watched as any small piece it dislodged it very deliberately put back in its place.

There was reverence there, in its fragile blue eyes and stringy hair. A borderline worship that flattered him almost as much as its hunger for knowledge simply for the sake of knowledge tickled him. As it was drawn back to its own realm, he gave it a little bit of himself. Just enough to form something interesting.

Just enough to keep the interesting fleshling safe.


	9. An abrupt start

**An abrupt start**

He hadn't quite known what to expect, when Kai-Kai told him they were leaving to go on an adventure. He promised to be on his best behaviour, bewildered at the way everything about her seemed lighter, and followed her as she packed a number of things into her magical pack and then offered the side pouch for him to stuff full with his own effects. Once he had done so, she sat him down and went over what she had.

"I'm not as awesome as you are, so I have to work around it. But… This is for you."

"A necklace?"

"It's an Amulet of Mighty Fists. It'll help you hit harder, and let you hit ghosts. Squarejewel has one too. Consider it the first magical item of your hoard. These? They're goggles that let me see in the dark like you can." The goggles were settled over her eyes, and she scrubbed at her nose. "This rock? It's an ioun stone of the torch variety, so it sheds light. Makes reading easier. This here's a traveler's any-tool - you can use it to make anything simple - we got here an instant doorknocker that makes a door for a little bit a day, and this one here… It's a bottle of air. Even underwater, it's got air in it. You could be ejected out into space beyond the stars, and this'd still have air in it."

"Why… Are you telling me all this?"

"'Cause I want you to know what I've got, in case you need it to save anyone. For example, this cloak? It helps me hide better. These sleeves? They change my clothes. This hair tie? It's a hat of disguise, and it'll make you look like a different type of dragon, I think. Makes me look like different humanoids, after all, and it'll make itself look like anything you want so long as it's small like a hair accessory. For your horns, I'd recommend a ribbon. That way it'll stay on, since you don't have hair. This one, I'll let you borrow every now and then, because you'll need it more than I will." She tapped the hair tie that kept the majority of her hair back.

"Where'd you get all of these?" Viletongue idly prodded the offered hat, baffled and trying to wrap his brain around so much rapid change.

"Same place I found you, Starshine. Same place I got this ring. It lets me get by without eating, and survive on two hours've sleep."

"So… From my mother's hoard?"

"Yeah. I was gunna give you most've this stuff later, as you got bigger, but looks like we'll need to use most've it in the meantime." Keda-Kai shoo'd him out of the house, turning back and giving it a fond once-over before locking the door and turning back to him. "Alright. You might've noticed that Squarejewel's not with us. I'm going to summon him once we get there, considering I'm not strong enough to pull all three've us through. Are you ready?"

"I- I guess? Yes? How-?"

She murmured the words to the spell and rubbed along his nose, and all of a sudden he was falling… Falling…

… And just like that, he was standing on solid ground, reeling, staggering aside and fighting to keep his lunch down. A hand caught him, and supported him as best her slender frame could, and he felt extra appendages against him.

"Easy, easy, first time's always the worst, I know. That's the spell called 'teleport'. I got two've those a day, at best."  
"What's touching me?"

Keda-Kai laughed easily, before snagging one of his claws and running it along her back, where he followed the invisible shape of a wing.

"What-?"

"Few nights ago, I finally figured out how to divert some of the strength I infuse into Squarejewel to myself. They're not the strongest, but it'll keep me from falling to my death. I kept meaning to tell you, but got so busy that I didn't have time, and then this happened. Don't worry, I'm still fragile me."

"You can -fly-? Will… Will you show me? Later?"

"'Course, Starshine. Now, lemme pull our walking crystal block out've the ether and then let's get looking for a dwarf."


	10. Fire & more fire

**A painful thing**

That fire, had -hurt-. It hadn't killed him, but Viletongue -hurt- after that. It had been explained to him that it would, very likely, hurt quite a bit, but he didn't feel so bad when he realized that both Squarejewel and Kai-Kai had gotten caught in the blast as well. No, his pain melted away, replaced with rage.

He needed to kill something. Having chased after the largest giant that Imane had also followed, he had been utterly disappointed that he hadn't gotten to kill him. As he landed on the roof, he waited for Kai to unevenly weave through the air and settle down next to him, burned black and bleeding as the charred parts of her flesh broke and oozed. He opened his mouth to say something as she glanced over, and choked on his words for a moment as she rasped out a few of her own.

"Hey, we match now."

"Match. We -Match-. You're bleeding and burned and all you can say is that we _match_ now?"

"Well, yeah. You did good. An' next time, I'll be prepared a bit better. 'S not the last we seen've him. I'm proud've you."

"I didn't save anyone. He breathed into the building-"

"Yeh. One building, not th'whole town."

"The giants-"

"Yeah, Imane was s'posed to thin'em out, but he took off after that big one looks like. Big one's dead now."

"Yesss. The Dwarf killed him." Viletongue growled low, though the sound was cut short as he hacked and coughed.

"Did. We got one alive, though, and I dunno anything more intimidating than you an' the big guy. Could prob'ly carrot-stick'im." She closed her eyes, stretching out on the cobblestones with a faint grimace and wheezed slightly.

"You should see a healer."

"-You- should see a healer."

"You both should see a healer." The Eidolon settled on the ledge, peering down at the giant. "You are both unacceptably wounded. But I am proud of you both. Keda-Kai, you did not die. I expected you to, against a red dragon. Viletongue, you did not flee. I had thought you might, after the conflagration."

"I probably would have, except he was an idiot and also hit Kai-Kai. Nobody hits Kai-Kai. I thought that was your -job-." The dragon settled down, resting against the stone of the roof and folding singed wings against his body.

"My job is also to protect you. You know she wished for me to do so more than to protect herself."

"Hey now, I'm right here, yeah?" The charred half-elf muttered weakly.

"Hush, squishling. Dragons are talking." Cheekily, Viletongue lightly bapped her on the nose with his tail, before rumbling a low sound. "... I need to get stronger. I need to get bigger. I need… I can't fight him again like that, even for my territory."

"He did hit fairly hard. Harder than I do, at least." The Eidolon inclined his head, still watching the proceedings below. "But what tipped the tide in his favour, is his breath weapon. We must prepare for it next time. I managed to utilize my wings to funnel the worst of it away from me, however I do not believe this is something you can do with your composition. You are simply not made of the same material I am."

"I'll work on it. I'm fairly certain 's somethin' I can do, but I just gotta practice."

"Rest, Kai-Kai. Once we find the Dwarf, we will see to it you get healed." Viletongue frowned over at the prone half-elf, and received a grunt in response.

"Am restin'. Just talkin'."

"Why don't you seem to feel pain? Though all the years, even when I accidentally hurt you, you've always been like this. You look hurt, but you don't act it." There was an accusatory note in the dragons voice, and he huffed as she cracked an eye open to peer over at him. "You should be screaming in pain. -I- feel like screaming in pain. I'm only not because you're not."

"How do I put this…" She pondered it for a moment, before closing her eye. "... I used to worship the God of Pain. This? 'S bad, yeah. But you learn to put pain in a lil' box and keep goin', 'cause even if it hurts 's nothin' I can do to make it -not- hurt. Not right now. I hurt, an' then I think about you an' Squarejewel in danger, and my hurt fades, 'cause I'm more scared've losin' either've you."

"But growing up, you weren't losing me if-"

"Think've it. You accidentally hurt me, a' I fall to the ground screamin' like a banshee. You'd balk, sure, the next time you almost hurt me. Might save me from pain. But you're a -dragon-. If you balk at hurting people, you'll just end up losin' every fight you get into. And I want you to -live-."

Viletongue frowned faintly, before lowering his head to rest, muttering quietly as the half-elf took a moment to do the same.

"... But I want -you- to live, too…"

 **A moment before the flames**

Keiaku saw the jaw open, knew from instinctive experience granted by the great dragon it was a fragment of what would happen next, and felt the heat wash over it. It was still up, by the end of infernal gout, and barreled through with its summoners choked sounds of pain echoing through its head while its ward's bellow of pain twisted to rage.

 _-Protect him. I can't… I can't be here anymore. I'll die, and you'll disappear, and then he'll kill Vee-Tee.-_

 _=Hide nearby, then. No farther than a hundred feet. If I go down, you know what you must do.=_

 _-Good news is I got lots've blood to use for it.-_

The eidolon scored a few more strikes against the red dragon, only to feel its corporeal form disintegrate after a particularly deep claw strike across its torso, and as it fragmented it braced itself for the disorientation that would come. It knew nothingness, and then came screaming back into existence and barreled towards the red drake, renewed even as its vision swam.

Such was very likely why it almost overshot the parapet, and had to waste precious seconds righting itself to keep from going over. As it recovered, it heard the red dragon address Viletongue, and it made sure to relay every word back to its summoner-

" _I invite you to join me, to serve me."_

" _You come into MY territory, harm MY people, and you EXPECT ME TO SERVE?"_

-And then the red dragon was gone. Several things happened in that moment. They caught sight of a stone giant and flew down to attack it, only for it to surrender. It hadn't expected the black dragon to give up that easily, though on reflection realized most of the fight had been knocked out of him.

Keda-Kai sent Viletongue to help Imane, though the dragon returned shortly stating that the large giant the aasimar had been fighting was dead, killed by the dwarf with magic of some kind while they settled onto the rooftop they had started from once it had busted down the debris that had kept the humans trapped inside the burning barracks.


	11. A moment of companionship & diplomacy

**A moment of companionship**

Kai couldn't tell where her pain ended and Viletongue's pain began. At least with the Eidolon, it was a purely telepathic link. Sure, she could -hear- when it he grunted in pain through their connection, but with the dragon, she could -feel- it. There were no words, never words, only emotions. Only things that were felt.

On one hand, as he grew up it allowed her to better understand him and attend to his needs without a lot of the guesswork. She knew when he was hurt, when he was angry, sad, lonely or sinking into one of his black moods. But on the other hand, the bond worked both ways. Not only did she share his pain, he shared hers unless she muffled it and choked their connection.

He had never much liked it when she went 'cold' on him. He didn't seem to realize he could as well, if he practiced. She only knew how because she had practice shutting Squarejewel out of her head.

It made this worse, for her, because she knew that her own pain was making his worse. So she boxed what pain she could, stayed as still as she could and let the numbness she envisioned wash over her while partially choking their connection; it was enough that emotions were deadened, but still present through the bond.

"I should find that dwarf."

The words came from far away, and she realized how close she had come to passing out. A slight twitch was enough to send lines of pain across her frame, and she used it as a lever to keep herself aware of her surroundings. "Iff'n you think so. I oughta pull Squarejewel through the long-term way."

"Can you do that without sitting up? How does that work, by the way? I've never thought to ask."

"Should be able to. 'S a ritual, yeah? Takes about a minute. So I gotta focus, gotta think an' draw out the pattern on my back, gotta basically hallucinate him into existence. I think've crystals, their hard panes an' angles. I think've how they sounded as they slid against each other, how his voice rumbles an' how he smelled."

"Like dirt?"

"Sort've. More like… More like dust in an old cave."

"Pfa…"

"At least he don' smell like old carrots~"

"You-! You hush! I smell -fantastic-, like algae. On a calm and beautiful -pond-." His indignation leaked through her hold on their bond, and she wheezed out a quiet laugh. "I smell like the fresh sea tide!"

"-After it's gone low an' left seaweed everywhere~." The half-elf teased, and he huffed. She felt something nudge her gently, and figured it was probably the knuckle-like joint of his wing.

"At least I don't smell like your -cooking-, like you do right now. Egads, that would be -terrible-!"

She wheezed another laugh, and fought the urge to cringe as he helped her into a seated position so that she could start sketching out the swirling pattern that sprawled across her back. Opening her eyes hurt, and everything was blurry.

"... Kai-Kai, your eyes are almost as red as mine."

"'S what happens when I catch fire. I just need some sleep. Now, watch what I do."

Cold scales pressed against her as his tail coiled about her torso, anchoring her and helping to support her as best he could as he loomed over her. As she moved her finger along the stone, it left a faintly glowing trail.

"This circle point, represents the mind. From here, you go down 'bout a foot, straight line. Represents the spine, the framework that holds everythin' together." She added a pair of swirls to the end, ensuring the pattern was symmetrical. From there, she went back up and marked a swirl to the right, nearly two inches down, and then went a little further down and this time enacted as wirl to the left. Moving back up above them, a pair of longer tendrils sprawled out six inches apiece before curling down and ending in downward swirls.

"Heart. Lung. Wings."

Between the 'heart' and the 'lung' she marked a second pair of tendrils, these ones heading out and mirroring each other as they turned down and then swirled inwards towards the lung. Another pair were added further down, this time the swirls were aimed out from the 'body'.

"Arms and legs, right?"

"You got it."

"Why'd you give him a lung, though? Doesn't he need two?"

"'S symbology. 'S not so much -what- I draw, as the meaning b'hind it, yeah?" The crispy half-elf slurred slightly and started to add lines that descended down from the wings and curved slightly in towards the body. "Could draw a single line, but won't make'im appear any faster. 'S a visualization aid."

"So you could give him three heads, or two tails, or just draw a giant penis?"

"You got it."

"I wondered. This doesn't match what's on your back at all."  
The pattern shifted, rising as crystalline structures spread outwards and grew into the shape the Eidolon wore on a regular basis. It shook itself for a moment, before turning and inclining his head.

"Please do not conjure me with a penis."

"Wow, that looked like the time we grew sugar crystals, just really fast."

"Help me up onto Squarejewel's back, alri-hgggt." A second tail had wrapped around her, helping the black dragon lift her up and settle her onto the eidolon's back. "... A'right. Let's go find the dwarf, while Imane keeps an eye on the giant. Bombee oughta be near, or at th'cathedral."

 **A moment in contemplating diplomacy**

He thought of all the things he could say, and then thought of all the things he -should- say.

'Good people of Sandpoint' was a nice place to start, the dragon thought. 'I have weathered dragonfire alongside my companions to drive the red menace from your sky' had a nice tone to it too. Dramatic, and mostly true, but then came the tricky part. 'I now travel your city, to dig you free' didn't seem quite -right-, more menacing than he intended. 'Do not fear me, as i help search your city for survivors to see to it they receive all the aid we can give' was closer. Perhaps the first part, Viletongue mused to himself, but with more searching for giants and less implied direct interaction with the people.

Not that it made a difference, Kai-Kai had suggested they go around doing what they could anyways, even with being exhausted and burned to a crisp. He had to say he didn't quite like the 'shitballsfuckthathurts' aspect of being a hero, but she insisted that it would pay off. That it was the second step to being able to walk the city freely. He knew it was a delicate thing indeed, and that there would be countless steps to this dance before they became acclimatized to his 'benign' nature. He briefly entertained the thought of sitting on a stage and telling them to speak with him, but even Squarejewel had figured people would rather get free of their collapsed homes first, and he was as dense as a rock most of the time.

He couldn't disagree with the thought. He just hoped nobody tried to attack him while he helped, and that perhaps the funny little bald dwarf would soothe some of his burns before he exhausted himself with the rest of the people in the city. Less pain would -definitely- improve his mood, along with some nice fresh fish.


	12. The first moment it worked

**The first moment it worked**

She could feel his elation and pride through the bond they shared, and sat back to watch him strut. Every now and then he swung his head to make sure he could still see her, but she knew he would be fine. This was what she had raised him for, trained him for. This was where he was meant to be.

She almost hated it. There was so much that could go wrong, but so much work had gone into this one moment where he saw that she had spoken truly, that people would love him if he was a hero to them, that she worried something would go wrong. He would trip and crush someone, and like ants they'd swarm him. He would accidentally let loose a line of acid. He would take something the wrong way, get insulted and swat.

Squarejewel knew her mind, following at enough of a distance that he could bask in the limelight but also intervene if anything happened. It watched over the black dragon and understood that this was the moment where he went from walking, to running, and that it would eventually lead to full flight through the hearts and minds of the people of Sandpoint.

One of the tests he faced was the tiniest little girl with burns on her arm who raised her hand politely to ask questions. He had faltered briefly, and she reassured him through their bond.

"Why do dragons hate people?"

"Most dragons are -very- greedy, and they want to take your things. They know you won't give your things to them, and so they are very mean. I, am not mean. I don't want to take your things, in fact I'd only take something if you offered it freely."

She remembered having a very similar conversation.

 _"Was Mama an evil black dragon?" Viletongue was curled up next to her on the bed, head on his flank as she stroked along his neck. He'd had another nightmare about something nameless with lots of teeth attacking him and eating him up._

 _"Well, from what I can tell, yes. She kicked you out of the nest, after all, though that might have saved your life. Black dragons don't take care of their young, usually, and there's a lot of infighting before only the strongest make it out alive. Your mother had a lot of stuff she'd stolen from people. That was part of the reason I was there, after all. They wanted an expert on dragons to help them navigate their way through and take some of the stuff back, maybe even fight her."_

 _"Did she hurt people to get these things?"_

 _"Probably. good chance of that, unfortunately." Kai started to rub along the bridge of his snout, and he exhaled slowly, eyes closing as he relaxed._

 _"Why? Did she hate them?"_

 _"Well, you see most dragons are -very- greedy, and they want what other people have. The more things that dragon has, the more powerful it's seen to be, and because of this they take things all the time. As often as they can. But taking without asking, is bad. Material things aren't even the greatest treasure anyways, though they're pretty impressive to be sure. Not all that glitters is gold." The half-elf idly picked some of the straw of the bedding free, and used it to boop him lightly in the snout._

 _"What's the greatest treasure?"_

 _"Emotions. Feelings. That moment when you succeed at something difficult and people recognize you for it. The hearts and minds of the people, not literally of course. For me? It's you, and Squarejewel, and the family we make. I'd trade all the information on dragons I have tucked away in my head if it meant you'd be safe, and I'd do it in a heartbeat. Someone choosing to do that, in my opinion, means you have the greatest treasure they can give you."_

 _"I dunno, gold's pretty great too."_

 _Kai laughed easily, drawing the blanket over him and letting him settle on the bed as she sat on the floor and leaned back against it._

 _"Not wrong. Gold that glitters -is- pretty nice. I'd still choose you though, over all the gold in the whole of Golarion."_

And here he was, her little treasure, surrounded by people who weren't hurting him. Surrounded by people who were happy he was there, who were thankful he had fought the red dragon. They loved him, or at least had started to, and as she pulled herself out of her thoughts he bound over to her, presenting the copper piece.

"Kai, look! You were right! They love me! This is the best! I'm a _Hero_!"

"Yes, Vee-Tee. I'm very proud of you." She reached out, rubbing his snout and inspecting the copper piece he presented, before handing it back and letting him tuck it away into the side pouch where all of his growing hoard was stashed. She watched as he waded back into the crowd, helping those he could, high on adrenaline and excitement and loving every second of attention he was getting.

 _=He has your knack with words. You did good, with him.=_

 _-I'm not done yet. He's made the first few steps into the world, but these people need something to celebrate either way. It only gets harder from here.-_

 _=With you watching over him, he will do fine.=_

 _-With us, you mean.-_

The eidolon glanced over at her, tail flicking in amusement before he went back to dutifully following and watching. One day, the dragon wouldn't need the safety net that either of them represented, and while she knew that wasn't going to be for some time, it was still an important thing to note. He was still a young dragon. He was still a young _black_ dragon. It would be easy enough for him to be led astray, and she wanted to preserve his innocence for a little bit longer.

For now, his world was a simple one. Bad guys got the shove, good guys got the love. She could hammer out the fine details later.


	13. A moment of rumination

**A moment of rumination**

Keda-Kai lay in her bed, hands tucked behind her head and one foot flat on the mattress as her knee leaned against the wall. The room was crowded, considering it had both the sleeping dragon and the alert eidolon crammed into it. The walls were covered with webs, preventing entry from the door or the window, and allowing the room to be pitch black. On a lark, she pulled the goggles up from around her neck and settled them over her eyes before tucking her hands behind her head once more and glancing over to watch the two large figures.

Keiaku, known to the 'lesser' races as Squarejewel, lifted its head and studied her in return. It was a common scene, considering she only slept for two hours and didn't eat, but she still sometimes felt a little weird about the whole arrangement. Still, it came in handy even if only because it meant the eidolon spent more time formed and able to protect them all. It was something of a pain in the ass, having to constantly summon him, but it was also something of a necessity.

Speaking of pains...

The half-elf held up one scarred hand, turning it this way and that, noting how the scars made the texture look just slightly patterned in the infravision her goggles gave her. She also felt keenly the aches and pains of an early life spent in service of Zon-Kuthon. She thought of the dwarf, of Bombee and found it somewhat ironic that she traveled now with a servant of Shelyn. The goddess of beauty, both inner and outer, who all followers of Zon-Kuthon were sworn never to harm, and were blessed if they protected them instead.

Was it divine fate, then? Has the pain of her leaving been enough of a tithe to allow her freedom? Did the dwarf represent a goal that the Midnight Lord had placed in her path? She hadn't exactly been -devout- in her worship of the Lord of Pain, for all that his teachings had granted her increased resilience and numbed her nerves. Her body was a living testament of healed patches of formerly flayed flesh, gouges, cuts and burns. It was expected of the people of Nidal, after all, to attend church and all that it entailed.

She thought back to the first time she had ever heard of dragons. She had latched on to the idea at a young age, largely because it provided her imagination with the fuel it needed to take her places she couldn't physically go while she healed. She told herself tales of dragons that grew and changed as she did, and even as she tore her nails off, she knew in her heart that no dragon would ever have to de-claw itself like this. Not for anyone. Not even for a god.

Keda-Kai was not, however, a dragon. So off her nails went, and as pain screamed through her system she composed herself as best she could, trying to capture the regal indifference a dragon would have when bored. It didn't work, not the first few times at least, but as time went by she whimpered and cried less. It had served her well in raising the black dragon, she felt. There were a lot of accidental injuries along the way, and she was able to more or less hide the worst of it. Even when the red dragon had almost killed her outright with the gout of fire, she hadn't screamed. Only wobbled away, landed and tucked behind a building.

Pain of the flesh was a funny thing, she mused. It had nothing on pain of the spirit or heart. She had felt Viletongue's pain and fear bleed into rage, and yet... There he was. Sleeping peacefully after being healed and prancing around the town happy as a pig in shit. So many powerful emotions had wracked him, so it was no surprise that he would be exhausted, but... He was still very young. She reached for their bond and, for a moment, felt utter contentment as the sated creature slept dreamlessly.

Her previous experiences told her that the contentment wouldn't last. Something very bad was going to happen soon, potentially another encounter with the dragon. All of this -good- would be paid for in pain, she knew, and also knew that it was too much to hope that she might be able to take all that pain herself and spare the dragon.

Perhaps she would have a talk with Bombee soon about faith, admit where her own lay and see what she could do about mitigating the potential fallout of what she expected on the horizon. Imane would shoot whatever it was that was coming, but Bombee... The dwarf was the heart of their party, young as he was.


	14. A moment of practice & awkwardness

**A moment of practice and awkward conversations**

She was half glad, half sad at the music. She presumed it was the dwarf (cleric of Shelyn after all) and really didn't think Imane to be the type to play an instrument. Estay -probably- had an item of holding to put a trumpet in, but she didn't seem the type either. Viletongue was enjoying it, and that was reason enough to leave them be despite how the web shelter wouldn't muffle the sound by much. It also muffled the sound of what she was about to do.

Stepping further out from the shelter, she reached up and felt along the chain that was wrapped with cloth, unwound it and stared at it as her clothing reverted to the shabby, stained and grey faded shirt and trousers. The cloth would likely have been tattered and threadbare if not for the cantrip she used to keep it in shape. 'Shape'. She frowned at the state of her clothes and shook her head. Half-faded blood stains, grass stains, and the faded pattern it used to hold rolled through her mind before she shook her head once more and felt blindly along the chain. The cloth wound around each link did a good job when it came to muffling the clinking, and help protect her hands from being pinched.

She started with some of the basic steps her feet had once trailed through, steps she had practiced every night since they left Sandpoint, steps she continued to half-heartedly hide from the others. The swish and muffled jingle proved a soft counterpoint to the trumpet behind her, and she turned and lazily swept the chain around her. Movement flit across her peripheral as she did, but she ignored it. It was only the eidolon, after all.

 _"I failed you, and for that, I'm sorry." Cigarette smoke curled lazily through the air. He stepped right through it, as if it didn't exist for him._

 _"It's okay, I forgive you."_

It didn't pain her to apologize, she wasn't proud enough for that. The tithe of pain offered to Zon-Kuthon tonight was the pain of isolation and the way her blisters bled in an attempt to push herself and re-familiarize herself with a weapon she hadn't used since the dragon had hatched. She saw the giant throw Bombee over the cliff once more, and winced as one of the barbs along the chain drew a line of blood across her bicep. It stung, but she continued on. Five minutes of stepping, swinging and curling the chain through the air became ten. She picked up speed, and ten became twenty. Twenty minutes became an hour, and she settled at a slightly uncomfortable pace. Images of people being mutilated curled through her mind, and she struck down each image as they arose. _I'm not that person any more_ , she promised herself, _I don't hurt other people for no reason other than I can._

 _"You should let people see them."_

Her arms felt like lead, her shoulders ached and she was bleeding from a dozen tiny cuts, of which only some were accidental. Did she want people to know who her patron god was? She couldn't say she was was as faithful as she had been in the past, if her shifted view on pain was anything to go by. It was motivation, and with every nick and close call she felt that much more alive and slipped that much further into the routine she had learned and walked through with her sister.

 _"The key is momentum. An object in motion stays in motion, it's stopping it that's the hard part. You can bleed some of the speed off with yourself, if you need, by catching the barbs with your flesh and clothes."_

 _"Pain never stopped us before, now did it." Her sister laughed, tracing her fingers along the chain that adorned her waist like a belt._

 _"No, it never did. You weather it better than most, too. Let's see what vocalists came in today, and make them sing. It'll be good practice."_

She only ever learned one trick with the chain that might have impressed anyone. It was still a work in progress, trying to get that level of proficiency back. Oh, she knew she could still -do- it, but to be able to snag the weapon from someone's hand without leaving them an opening or chance to retaliate was harder than it looked. She didn't think for a moment that she would be able to do so against anything larger than herself, but still... It was something that a spiked chain was meant for.

There were some people who got off on pain. She was well aware of the masochistic tendencies cultivated by the worshipers of Zon-Kuthon. For her, it was a focal point. It helped her concentrate, helped her bleed out her failures and serve penance. It was a solemn thing, a sign that she understood what she had done wrong and her willingness to put her life in danger to rectify it. Anything life-threatening put her in that hyper-aware state of mind where she found clarity and perspective.

If she was being honest, if she didn't hurt herself aside from the dragon she found she didn't feel much of anything. Comfortably numb was her average state, which was the wrong thing to be even if it let her recover quickly. She knew she was messed up. It didn't change much. Another spin and sweep brought her abruptly face to face with the eidolon, and the spiked chain whumped harmlessly into his side.

"... Squarejewel." Kai exhaled slowly, trying to get her heart rate back under control. "I didn't think you'd be able to sneak up on anyone."

"This implies you are particularly unaware of your surroundings. Something you should rectify. It has been two hours." It glanced at the spiked chain, before swiveling its head around to peer at its shoulder. There was the faintest of scratches across the crystal-like surface. "... You are getting better."

"I knew how to use these, once upon a time, and it's coming back to me. You also know that I'm about as perceptive as a rock. Your sniffer's better suited to keeping an eye out, funny as that might sound." The half-elf started to coil the chain around her torso, a minor mending spell fixing her clothing and a slight adjustment of the sleeves that covered her forearms altering her clothing and removing the bloodstains.

"Are you going to slip back into old habits then? You were the outlier in your family, who caved to chaotic tendencies and escaped into the world chasing a dream." Squarejewel turned and stepped towards the hatch, hunkering down as he opened it.

 _-If I start doing things that make absolutely no sense, call me on it.-_ Kai scrubbed at her face as she stepped through and pulled the hatch shut behind her.

Her sleep was, as per usual, blessedly short. The ring of sustenance helped escape the nightmares that plagued her after a mere two hours, if they could even be called that. She would close her eyes, and open them to the world where she walked that fine line between killing and maiming, where she was once more the deranged sadist who hurt others because rules and laws had been proven a sham and who idolized dragons because of their brutality and their uncaring nature towards the 'lesser races'. The sociopath who followed the wind. Who she was before she had found Keiaku and then subsequently the black dragon.

Sometime after Viletongue hatched and she got rid of the chain, she would wake up and for a long, disorienting moment reached for the spiked chain only to find it missing. Remembering the reason why always brought her back to the present, where she would summon the eidolon and return to her somber state. She had a new one now, and it was only a matter of time before she figured out if the habit was broken for good or if the years would prove kind to her.

The first few years had been the hardest, where she had to figure out a set of morals in keeping with her promise to the crystal dragon. She was thankful for the three or four years between when she had first left home and the time she had visited the Dragon's Punchbowl, as it had given her the time needed to both overhaul and fine tune these morals to apply them to the hatchling.

Shaking her head as she pushed herself up and pushed the wandering thoughts aside, peering around the interior of the web shelter to see who else was awake and then slipping outside to summon the eidolon. Another day that began at midnight, another opportunity to fight giants, and she knew she needed to update her strategy.

"Kai-Kai."

She didn't jump this time. Probably because she was used to Viletongue sneaking up on her, or at least because she had felt the faint smugness that usually came immediately before an attempt. Squarejewel pulled itself up from where it was forming, and gave itself a shake.

"Hey Vee-Tee. Sleep alright?"

"It's cold. No colder than the deeper bits of water I've swam or the higher altitudes I've flown. Questions for you."

"Mmh?"

"Squarejewel isn't male or female, right?"

The eidolon paused, before glancing at the two of them. "Correct. I do not have a gender."

"Right, right..." The black dragon reached to tug the tapestry he still wore tighter about himself to keep it from falling off and looked to the half-elf. "And you're female?"

"Last time I checked. What brought on this line of questioning?" Kai pushed herself up from where she had sat down, brushing herself off. The dragon scritched along the side of his chin, glancing away.

"... Estay was asking questions and wanted to know if I ever wanted to create spawn of my own. She asked if you'd ever... You know'd, while she was snuggled up next to Imane."

"Keda-Kai, no. That goes against our agreement." A preemptive warning from the eidolon had the half-elf shaking her head and glancing innocently over, before she sighed.

"He's -seven-. She's got no right asking him these things, let alone about me. Dragons don't reach sexual maturity until halfway through the young stage, which generally starts after a decade and a half, and they're about the size of a horse by then-"

"I'm barely a hand shorter than a horse right now! You said we'd have that talk when I was -bigger-, and guess what. I'm -bigger-." Viletongue interrupted, stepping up and shoving his face against hers with his nose pointed down so he could get his eyes closer without impaling her on a horn. "I told her I -didn't- want to know about intamacy, because you -promised-. I get a lot of knowledge from how dragons memory and instinct are interwoven, but I want to hear it from -you-! You, who taught me that not everything my instincts say is -right-!"

The half-elf blinked at him, before reaching up and rubbing along his muzzle. He bristled reflexively, before drooping.

"... Please don't ignore me. Don't put it off. I'm bigger than I should be, and only so much of that can be swept under the blanket of a good healthy diet for this long. It seems gross, but if it's something that's going to be talked about I need to know. I don't want to be seen as an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Vee-Tee." Kai leaned forward to butt her forehead against his, rubbing along the frilled mane that fanned back along his neck. "It's not a topic I expected this soon, is all, and part of what I was worried about with her trailing along with us. So, slight correction, it's intimacy, not intamacy. You were close. It technically means anything from breeding to a strong bond of friendship, but usually taken as a mix of the two."

"Breeeeding." The dragon rumbled the word around his mouth for a moment, sitting and leaning into the smaller figure. "We've had a bit of that talk before, haven't we."

"When you asked what 'breeding like rabbits' meant, yeah. What Estay was more talking about is the act itself, not the result. Your instincts and blood memory say something about that, yet?" Kai leaned against Viletongue in turn, though it was largely to make sure she didn't get accidentally shoved over.

"Hmm... Not... Particularly."

"No surprise. You're young yet, for all that you've gotten big. For dragons, it's close to hunting your partner, except that you wrestle and play around without seriously injuring each other, and whoever's strongest ends up on top. With the chromatic dragons? It's usually an actual fight, where as with metallics it's more play-fighting. You're going to have the deck stacked against you, if you go after another black."

"And the only other blacks that are anywhere near where we live is my mother?"

"And her brother." She started scritching along the underside of his neck, and the dragon let out a quiet sigh.

"You're avoiding the question, for all that you're answering it." He blinked, focusing his eyes on her face and searching it even as he reached for their bond. "Is it that bad? Maybe try saying it quickly, like removing leg hair with wax?"

"Simple premise of it is that your wee-wee goes into the female equivalent, except one tube inside of you closes and another opens. You don't pee, you cream, and it goes into the uterus of the female instead of the bladder because of where things are. There's a zero percent chance of you getting it in the wrong part unless you accidentally go up the tail hole, which isn't likely a good idea." There. She'd said it. She could see the lack of comprehension on some parts stamped across his muzzle before he tilted his head and looked off to the horizon.

"... I suppose it's something I'm going to be 'into' when I'm older, is it?"

"See why I wanted to wait? Describing it makes it sound nasty. It's like flying, you can describe it all you want but there's a feel to it that makes it good and doesn't do it justice."

"Now -that- makes sense. I remember that discussion." Viletongue glanced back down at her.

"Can you believe you were afraid of it before you got the hang of it? Sure, there's a few bumps along the way when you clip the branches of a tree, but when you get the hang of it it gets to be quite nice." Kai reached up, tapping his snout. "And one day, you'll find a dragon you like in that way, and it'll make that first jump worth it."

" _Or_ my base nature will overtake me. I think I'm hecked either way, largely because I don't think there -are- any other good black dragons out there." The dragon drooped, only to grunt and lurch forward as the eidolon thwapped him in the back with its tail.

"Have you searched everywhere? No? Then you cannot say for sure you are."

"Oh what would -you- know. You're a _rock_." Viletongue stuck his tongue out at the mass of crystal that settled next to them.

"I am an aspect of a crystal dragon. I -do- have memories of what life is like." Squarejewel rumbled quietly, keeping watch.

"Is it the same with humans?" Peering down at Kai, he tilted his head.

"What, breeding? In theory. Because of how things are angled we've got a bit more variety with some of the finer details, but I'm -not- getting into that with you. Ask me again when you're as wide as a wagon." She reached up to tap the end of his snout, only for him to flare his nostrils.

"If it's as good as flying, why don't you do it? I've never seen you cuddle with anyone who was biped-al. Bipedal? Two-legged."

"Largely because I haven't found anyone I like in that regard, and because I haven't had time. Now, enough of the awkward questions. Go get some sleep. You're safe, we're keeping watch. I don't have to be your -real- mom either to tell you this."

He huffed, largely because she had spoiled his joke, and turned to pad back into the web shelter with a flick of his tail.

"Goodnight, Kai-Kai, Ess-Jay."

"Goodnight, Viletongue."

"Night, Vee-Tee."


	15. A moment of Bravery & past

**A moment of bravery**

He knew from the moment he got there, that he would be laughed at. He -knew- the red dragon wouldn't understand, and still, stubborn as he was, he raised his head proudly when he was asked The Question. Squarejewel stood beside him, and he knew any fight would tip in his favour despite the size difference.

 _"Why do you travel with these fragile creatures?"_

 _"You're going to laugh, but I don't care. I'm going to be a **Hero** , I'm going to be **Loved** , and these fragile people are going to give me things freely. They will worship me, because I will not rule them with fear."_

The red dragon had laughed, of course, as if that was just the funniest thing he had ever heard. He had been called naive, told that he didn't know what they were capable of. Viletongue had grit his teeth, lifted his chin and snapped right back.

 _"I have lived with a follower of Zon-Kuthon, the God of Pain, for many years. I know well what they are capable of."_

He felt her shock through their bond first, though he didn't have to glance over to know that Kai-Kai had kept her composure. It was quickly followed with -pride-, tainted by a little bit of guilt, and he waited at the entrance with her as the others took to the air. The half-elf had simply pressed a hand to his chest, over his heart, and watched him for a moment.

Words weren't needed. Not at that point, at least, and she patted him before turning and taking to the air.

 _"Squarejewel?"_

 _"Yes, Viletongue?"_

 _"Yesterday, I almost ruined her hand and you said she went into shock, but today... Why is it that she doesn't seem hurt? It... Doesn't seem normal. When I hurt, I hurt for days before I've gotten better."_

 _The eidolon looked at him, head tilting before rumbling quietly and speaking softly in draconic._

 _"Listen well, young one, for this will only be spoken of once. She is scarred, you have seen this, yes?"_

 _The black dragon nodded, straightening up. It only spoke in draconic when something was **important** , and he swallowed slightly as it continued._

 _"She has been a follower of Zon-Kuthon, formerly known as Dou-Bral, one of the evilest and most twisted minds in this cosmos. His concerns are first and foremost envy and pain, and all who worship him enjoy either giving or receiving pain. They are practiced torturers, and lawfully bound by their own set of rules. They practice their arts upon each other, and thus build up their own tolerance and ability to manage pain."_

 _"But... Torture is bad. It counts as a cruelty, and she's not cruel at all." The corners of Viletongues lips curled down into a frown, and he tilted his head._

 _"Similar to how you come from a place of evil, so too does she, although they are different places. You struggle with the knowledge and instinct inherent in your blood, while she wrestles with past conditioning and training. Hurting each other, was how they showed each other love. She has always tried very hard not to hurt you."_

 _"Why? If there are places where I'd be considered -normal-, why are we here and not there? Why are we fighting our natures so much? Wouldn't it be easier?"_

 _The eidolon rumbled out a chuckle before easing itself to its feet and giving itself a shake. "An answer in two parts. The first, and perhaps most important to her, is that even before you were found and subsequently hatched I have held her to the standards of my progenitor. This means no undeserved violence, and that she conduct herself with grace and dignity. She may only act in violence as a reflection of intent. To this end, for as long as she behaves, I teach her about our kind."_

 _"So... She... Can't kill unless someone's trying to kill her?"_

 _"Outside of the necessity that hunger brings, yes. She cannot harm those who do not mean her harm."_

 _"... Is... Squarejewel, is that why she's twitchy sometimes? Why she understands when I get twitchy? Is it that the want to hurt makes her itch, and she can't scratch it?"_

 _Squarejewel nodded, before looking back at the house._

 _"She comes to collect you for dinner. Speak nothing of this."_

 _It was only after everyone had gone to bed for the night that he realized he never learned the second part of the answer to his question._

 **A moment from the** **past**

Viletongue was getting -very- good at sneaking up on people. He practiced and trained and worked at it for a full three months before he felt confident in his ability. It was night time, _his_ time, and if Kai-Kai thought he didn't know about how she would sneak out and then summon Squarejewel a hundred feet from the house, she was sorely mistaken. He knew to stay downwind, and he was faster in the air than the eidolon. His hide also gave him the advantage, though he wasn't taking any chances with the lump of crystal. It was almost _scary_ how good its senses were.

So there he flew, two hundred feet up and flying at an angle as he fought to glide as much as he could and flap his wings as gently as possible without falling out of the air. They were headed east, over the forest, and across the boundary of their small territory.

It was easy to catch how they dipped and landed in the forest, and he circled a number of times before back-winging and touching down as gently as he could. This was where he was at a disadvantage, since he unfortunately never had been able to outrun the eidolon. Still, he slipped through the underbrush with a fairly good idea of the direction they were going. He had almost found them when the most horrible pained shriek assaulted his ears. He scrambled up a tree and balanced within the branches, holding his breath as small creatures bolted through the woods, cackling and grunting towards the sound.

Goblins, he recalled, and not the first time he had seen them. First time they had come so close to his territory, though. Carefully, he slipped back down out of the tree and stepped as quietly as he could through the underbrush until he came upon the edge of a lit clearing and froze.

Keda-Kai's face was illuminated by the torch she carried in one hand, blood spattered and dirty in the middle of a group of goblins. She wielded a club in her other hand, and beat the goblins into the ground one at a time, cackling all the while even as she was beaten and stabbed in turn. One of the goblins sank his dagger to the hilt in her side, and she simply turned and swatted him aside with the club and laughed.

"Ohhhohoho~, that _tickled_ , let's try that _again_ shall we~?"

More goblins streamed into the clearing, though as heavy footfalls pounded past him in the bushes he realized that the eidolon was herding them towards the half-elf. The steps paused as they passed the dragon, but he barely realized this as he swallowed dryly. Every time Kai-Kai was injured, she would laugh harder.

"More, c'mon! Surely that just _can't_ be the _best_ you've _got~_! Hit me! Stab me! _Give me a hug~_!"

Viletongue jerked slightly, before forcing himself to turn away only to come face to face with Squarejewel. He took in the blood, took in the sight and scent of the eidolon before shifting nervously away. The eidolon was bigger than him, and right then and there his instincts screamed 'danger'.

"... Before you lay two paths. You can flee back home and cower, or you can fight, and ask questions later with a clear mind and steady heart."

He opened his mouth to reply, but Squarejewel was already gone, thundering through the underbrush. Swallowing, he looked back into the clearing to see that Kai was staring right at him, no longer laughing. Giving himself a shake, he slipped into the clearing and helped her finish off the rest of the goblins.

The flight home was quiet and uneventful, and they touched down just as the sun began to inch over the horizon. The half-elf immediately hobbled into their stone house, and he settled down to lick his wounds as the the eidolon groomed itself.

"Wh-"

A shake of Squarejewel's head cut him off, before it pushed itself up and stepped away into the trees.

"... You... Weren't supposed to see me like that." Keda-Kai had approached him without his notice, and he whipped his head around to find her a foot or so away and seated on the grass as she bandaged herself up. Her voice was quiet, almost ashamed, and she sighed softly. "... Not so young, anyways."

"You lied to me. You said that hurting things was bad. That pain was bad."

"Pain _is_ bad. Inflicting it isn't something good people enjoy."

"You were enjoying it." Viletongue curled up on the grass, wings folding over his limbs and torso as he tucked himself into a neat bundle. "You were enjoying being hurt, too."

"That's-" She hesitated, before sighing and looking up at the sky. "... I'm... Yeesh, where do I even start."

The dragon poked his snout up slightly, watching the sky as well. "... I can't feel you. I don't like feeling alone."

"... Alright."

As if she had never left, he felt her emotions and cringed. A dizzying mix of self-loathing, disgust and faded euphoria was underlined by contentment, guilt and shame, and he watched her as she continued systematically cleaning and binding her wounds.

"... Everyone has things they can't help. Things that the only thing they can do about them is mitigate the impact they make on daily life. I -like- hurting things. I grew up that way, and I can't exactly fix that about myself, because it's a sign of mental sickness. And I -am- sick, mentally. I like being hurt, too, though it's not so much a pleasure thing as a sense of release. Of penance, of my sins being cleansed and bled out, which makes me feel... Clean. Lighter. _Better._ That's another sign of being mentally sick. And I know these things are wrong, but they're not things that I can get rid of that easily." She paused, glancing over at the dragon before clearing her throat. "I didn't lie to you. I told you the same thing I tell myself every day. Hurting things _is_ bad. Sometimes necessary, like when we hunt for food, but if it can be avoided then I try and avoid it."

"You and Squarejewel left to find those goblins. You didn't avoid that at all."

"No. You're right. And I could list off any number of excuses such as keeping them away from our borders, keeping their numbers down so that people are safer, or even that they deserve it being evil creatures themselves, but that doesn't excuse it. When it comes down to it, I went out there and beat them into the ground, and I -liked- it. And that's wrong of me."

"Then... Why did you do it, if it's wrong? If these excuses are just excuses?"

Keda-Kai scrubbed a hand across her face, before sighing.

"Because if I don't, then I might hurt you. It's not something I can stop, only shift and mitigate so that I end up taking something bad and doing something good with it. My obsession with dragons helps distract me from it, but I was hurting people even before that. Squarejewel helps, since he embodies my promises to be a better person, but it's taken years for me to break as many of the habits I have."

The black dragon thought about this for a moment, before studying the half-elf.

"It's... Like how I can't help but pick my food into lots of little bits, isn't it. I like watching it twitch, and even after years of working on it you haven't been able to make me not like that."

"Yeah. It's also why I'm not... Really that harsh on you when you do. Because I understand what that's like, and it's a basic nature of black dragons. All I can do is try and channel that in constructive ways, like puzzles, or-or like the unusual hunts we were doing where we practiced crippling deer instead of killing them, and non-lethal strikes."

"... I... I forgive you, Kai-Kai. But on one condition."

"Hoooh?"

"Take me with you, from now on. I need to know how to fight, and I'm not going to break if I get stabbed."

She peered at him, frowning before sighing.

"If you feel me panic, then you -run-. That's my counter condition."


End file.
